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Join us on Friday, May 11 at 1:00 p.m. EST to learn how the Farm Bill works and, more importantly, how sustainable businesses can influence how this major piece of national legislation affects our food system.

Initiated in 1916, The Farm Bill is reauthorized every five years. The 2008 Farm Bill appropriated $284 Billion and covered a range of farming and agricultural interests: commodity pricing to rural and small scale farming, technical assistance, energy use, food safety, crop insurance, nutrition, and food stamps. Historically the Farm Bill has provided extensive subsidies for large commodity producers at the expense of smaller and less energy-intensive farming approaches.

The Farm Bill has a major impact on farmers, consumers, rural communities, the natural environment, and the 40-plus million people receiving food assistance as well as global agribusiness.

It’s time for the Farm Bill to promote, rather than inhibit, local agricultural economies as well as small and mid-size food production businesses. The next Bill should, and could, include policies that encourage fair competition, equal access to capital for young farmers, and agricultural practices that protect the environment for future generations.